Meter-box.



H. H. HOWELL.

METER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.23. |913.

2 1 rvu HU AU d e t n e .+1. na D;

Hu HZ...

4J Jljy Attorneys.

Witnesses emanare METERBOX.

Application led September 23, 1913.

To all whomit may concern.'

Be it known that l, HARRY HAMMOND HOWELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hope, in the county of Hempstead and State ofArkansas, have invented a new and usefulv Meter-B0X, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to meter boxes or housings particularly designedfor use in connection with water meters.

One of the objects of the invention is to providea simple, durable andeiiicient device of this character which is sutliciently strong not tocrush when subjected to the Weight of heavily loaded vehicles; which hasa cover provided with a simple lock designed to prevent tampering byunauthorized persons, and which is so shaped and proportioned as tolinclose the service cock with the meter, thereby to eliminate entirelythe eXtra expense heretofore involved in providing service boXes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

ln the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

Tn said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through two sections ofa meter box and showing a meter and service coclehoused therein, thecover being locked in closed position. Fig. 2 is a section on line -BFig. 1 looking upward. Fig. 3 is a plan view oi a portion of the cover.section on line C-D Fig. 3, the pivot pin and button being shown inelevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the key.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates thebody of the box or housing, the same being formed in a single castingand preferably substantially elliptical in cross section. The upper edgeof the housing" is formed with an annular enlarge-v ment 2 provided witharabbet v3 constituting `the seat for the cover i of the meter. Thiscover, which is formed in a single casting, is provided with reinforcingribs 5 and a lip 6 is extended inwardly from the Vall 1 close to therabbet 3 and isadapted to be engaged Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 4 is a Patented @et 12, 1915..

Serial No. 791,388.

by an ear 7 formed on the lower surface of the cover t, this ear beingso shaped as to entend under or lap the lip 6, as shown in Fig. 1.Formed in the cover d at a point dlametrcally opposed to theear 7 is acircular depression 8 having aweb 9 extending across the centerthereon-one end of this web being overhang by a retaining luglO formedintegral with the wall of the depression. Segmental outlet openings 11are formed in the bottom of the depression 8 at opposite sides of theweb 9 and constitute outlets through which dirt and other material isfree to drift so as not to c'log'the depression 8 and interfere with therotation of the but` ton hereinafter referred to. f

A. stem 12 is mounted for rotation within the web 9 and is providedatits upper end with an angularhead 13 seated on the web 9. Riveted orotherwise'secured to the lower end of the stem 12 is a button 111, oneend ot' which is upturned, as shown at 15 so as to present an inclinedend 16 to the inclined surface ot a lip 17 formed on the inner side ofthe wall of body 1 close to the rabbet 2* at a point diametricallyopposite the lip 6. Tn fact the two lips 6 and 17 are duplicates.

F or the purpose of rotating the button 14, a key of novel form isprovided. This includes a stem 18 having a handle 719 at one end whileits other end is formed Vwith a socket 20 the seat in which is so shapedas to receive the head 13 and to it snugly thereon. This socket ispartly surrounded by a flange 21 the ends of which arel spaced apart aydistance slightly greater than the width of the lug 10. Thus it will beseen that by placing the key above the recess 8 and lowering itthereinto so that the lug 10 will be received between the ends of flange21, the socket 20 will become seated on the head 13 and the key can thenbe rotated. This will result in rotating the head 13 so as to bring thebutton 14 out of engagement with lip 17. At the same time flange Q1moves under lug 10 and thus prevents the removal of the key from thecover until the button has been turned back to its normal position. Stoppins 2Q and 23 are provided upon the bottom face of the cover #t for thepurpose of limiting the movement of the button 11i. Stop 23 is adaptedto be contacted by the button when said button is brought intoengagement with lip 1'? while stop Q2 is contacted by the button aftersaid button has lili lOli

been removed from engagement with the lip. With this arrangement it willbe seen that the key can 'be used for lifting the cover after the coverhas been unfastened and there is no danger of the cover dropping o" thekey. Obviously, the cover can be quickly placed in position on the boxor body 1 and p the button 14 can be swung into engagement with eitherlip 6 or 17, according to the position of the cover on the box. Ear 7can likewise engage either of the lips which may be :adjacent thereto;With the ear 7 in engagement with one of the lips and button 14inengagement withA the other lip, it is obviously impossible to removethe cover until the button has been disengaged from its lip.

Importanceis attached to the fact that the meter box isv elliptical forthe reason that it is thus possible to house the Water meter E andtheservice cock F in the box where they can both be reachedconveniently, thus doing away withthenecessity of providing a.specialservice box for the cock F. Furthermore it Will be noted that the box 1is vformed, n its bottom, at the ends of its longest diameter, with deeprecesses or notches 24. Where only one meter box 1 is used for housingthe meter, these Vrecesses 24 receive the pipes leading to and from themeter but it is to be understood that Where two or more of the boxes lare placed upon each other, as shown in Fig. 1, -only the notches orrecesses 24 of the lower sec'tion are utilized, these receiving thepipeslead ing to and from the meter, as shown in Fig.

l. Vhere two or more boxes are placed' upon eaclother, the rabbets ofthe lower boxes receive the lower edges of the next adjoining boxes`thereabove so that lateral or longitudinal displacement of the boxesrelative to each other is prevented. By providing this arrangement ofboxes, the housing can be made of any depth desired. Importance isattached to the fact that the openings 11 in the recess 8 permit dirtand moisture to sift outY of the recess so that, when the key is.inserted into the recess, there will be no accumulations to interferewith the proper placingand manipulation of the key.

What isclaimed is The combinaton with a cover having a depressiontherein and a key retaining lug ,integral with the cover and overhangingthe depression, of a head mounted for rotation in the depression, abutton under the cover and revoluble with the head, means extending fromthe cover for limiting the rotation of the button, a key having a socketfor the reception of the head, said key being insertible into thedepression, anda flange extending partly around the key 'adapted toreceive the lug between the ends of the flange when the key is insertedinto the depression, said flange cooperating with the lug to preventwithdrawal ofthe key when the button is turned out of locking position,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed`my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY HAMMOND HOWELL.

lrVitnesses G. S. DOBBINs, H. J. RoEBUoK.

'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

